Japanese Veteran Meui Yamaguchi Faces Filipino Standout Gina Iniong at One: Immortal Pursuit

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced an additional bout for ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT, which will be held live at the state-of-the-art Singapore Indoor Stadium on 24 November. Fans will be treated to another exciting evening of authentic martial arts action as a three-round atomweight bout has been added to the blockbuster event, pitting Japanese martial arts veteran Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi against Filipino top contender Gina “Conviction” Iniong.

Mei Yamaguchi, ONE Athlete, stated: “I commend Gina Iniong for taking this match on a short notice. She is a good martial arts artist with promising potential in the division. Gina is in good hands, training with no less than the best at Team Lakay. I have faced her before, and she is always in good condition. As always, I am in tiptop shape for every bout. Brace yourselves for fireworks.”

Gina Iniong, ONE Athlete, stated: “Facing Mei Yamaguchi three years ago was like going through the eye of a needle. That bout opened doors of great opportunity for me in this sport. I am expecting a tough duel with her again on 24 November in Singapore. I have lofty goals in ONE Championship, and I must win this match to achieve them.”

34-year old Japanese martial arts veteran Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi is a female atomweight standout and a former ONE world title challenger from Tokyo. She is the DEEP Jewels Featherweight Champion, and owns seven submissions and two knockouts in her 27-bout professional career. In 2016, Yamaguchi challenged Angela Lee for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship in an epic showdown that would later win multiple ‘Bout of the Year’ honors from international media publications. In her last bout, Yamaguchi submitted top contender Jenny Huang impressively within two rounds. Another tough opponent awaits her at ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT as she is set to square off with Gina Iniong of the Philippines.

Top Filipino women’s martial arts contender Gina “Conviction” Iniong of Baguio City, Philippines, is a six-time national wushu champion and member of the renowned Team Lakay. She owns a professional record of 6-2, with four of her six victories coming by thrilling finish, including two highlight-reel submissions and two knockouts. In front of a hometown crowd last 10 November at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD, Iniong extended her winning streak inside the ONE Championship cage to two matches with an outstanding second-round finish of Indonesia’s Priscilla Hertati Lumbangaol. Iniong has the opportunity to elevate her stature in the organization’s growing atomweight talent pool as she is tasked to duke it out with Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi.

ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT will feature the best and brightest stars in both local and international martial arts scenes, including ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren who will defend his title against former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki in the main event. Meanwhile, Singaporean lightweight standout Amir Khan will take on hard-hitting Australian, Adrian “The Hunter” Pang, in the card’s co-headliner.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Hit Bisrock Musical ‘Gugmang Giatay’ To Hit Manila Nov. 26, 28-30

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Cebu’s runaway theatrical hit - the original Bisrock jukebox musical, GUGMANG GIATAY will be holding limited shows in Manila on Sunday, November 26, 4 p.m., during BGC Passionfest, and again from Tuesday, November 28 until Thursday, November 30, 8 p.m. All Manila performances will be at the Globe Auditorium of the Maybank Performing Arts Theater, BGC Arts Center, Taguig.

Written by award-winning songwriter Jude Gitamondoc and Internet sensation Rowell “Medyo Maldito” Ucat, GUGMANG GIATAY is your (a)typical romantic comedy, with a good dose of maoy moments, hugot lines, and acerbic Bisaya humor. The musical features landmark Bisaya hit songs, both contemporary and classic, written by such iconic talents as Max Surban, Cattski Espina, Insoy Niñal, Jude Gitamondoc, Medyo Maldito, and Junior Kilat, among others.

Synopsis

A small, close-knit neighborhood is #shookt when Inday, a down-to-earth girl, lets slip that all is not well in her relationship with Undo, her long-time musician boyfriend. A surprising sequence of events ensue as gossip, pretense, and confessions lead them and their closest friends and associates to address the situation in their own well-meaning but often misguided ways, leading to even more complications. The disparate group proves that while love is indeed accursed, it can lead to surprisingly desirable ends, if one lets it.

The Manila staging of GUGMANG GIATAY will feature award-winning actor Bong Cabrera in the role of Ben. Cabrera is known for his role in the 2011 film Sa Ilalim ng Tulay, for which he won the award for Best Actor in the Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival. He also won Best Supporting Actor for the 2013 film The Guerilla is a Poet in the CineFilipino Film Festival.

The other cast members are as follows: Von Saw, Lourdes May Maglinte, Shiella Pestaño-Gemperoa, Shane Reseroni, Joer Gallur, Paola Pia San Diego, Jeyve Daño, Jan Echevarria, Davelyn Cuenco, Heidi Pogoy, Alem Garcia, Malaya Macaraeg, Kristian Ray Malintad, Dion Cecilio, Lauire Tul-id and Dustin Tagalog.

Sarah Mae Enclona-Henderson, the producer of GUGMANG GIATAY, says she backed the stage musical because she believes it has the power to touch lives. “I had fun reading the first draft to the final uncensored book,” she said. “I could not let go of it! I love it so much and I believe that Filipinos deserve to see it on stage. It has the potential to transform the theater scene here in Cebu and hopefully make Cebuanos a more supportive and engaging audience.”

Genuinely funny and entertaining, GUGMANG GIATAY also aims to elevate local pop culture to the musical stage. The musical, in its entirety, is a tribute to anything and everything Bisaya, says Enclona-Henderson.

Tickets may be acquired through www.ticketworld.com.ph.

GUGMANG GIATAY is produced by 2TinCans Philippines in partnership with the BGC Arts Center, in cooperation with Offbeat Concepts Production House. It is directed by Edison Jingle Saynes with choreography by Vince Gaton. For more information, visit 2TinCans Philippines on Facebook at facebook.com/2tincansphils and Instagram at @2tincansph. Like GUGMANG GIATAY on Facebook at facebook.com/gugmanggmusical.

The Comeback: Miss Asia Pacific International 2017

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Congratulations to the winners of the Darling of the Press for Miss Asia Pacific International 2017 candidates presented to media at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel

Darling of the Press: Miss Sri Lanka - Hasini Samnez
1st Runner-Up - Miss Mauritius / Aylasha Ramrachia
2nr Runner-Up - Miss Vietnam / Vuon Thanh Tuyen  

The oldest beauty pageant in Asia is back in the Philippines with forty-two beautiful and empowered women from all over the world vying for the crown.

Miss Asia Pacific International (MAPI) has been around since the 1960s and is now under new ownership and management. The organization has positioned itself to be a pedestal for women who want to be the voice of celebrating beauty and harmony in diversity - empowering women to embrace and exercise their individuality, and encourages them to respect and appreciate those of others.

More than having the girls compete with each other, the organization is focused on forging solidarity among the girls and inspiring them to be epitomes of a strong and confident woman who is proud of herself, her culture, and everything that makes her what she is. This is not just another beauty pageant – this is a program that hopes to create ambassadors that ignite positive change in the global community.

Miss Asia Pacific International was in hiatus for a decade and was re-launched last year with the 22-year old Tessa Helena Le Conge from the Netherlands taking the crown. The event took place at the renowned Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Now she is back in the country to turn-over the title and the spearheading of the organization’s advocacy to the next MAPI queen.

The much-awaited pageant officially started with the press presentation of the candidates’ last November 13 at Edsa Shangri-La and will be culminated by the Grand Coronation night happening in the nation’s capital – specifically at the Newport Performing Arts Theatre in Resorts World Manila this November 29, 2017. Before the grand night, the girls will be undergoing several preliminary competitions happening around the Philippines.

Tickets for the grand coronation are available at the official website of MAPI, asiapacificintl.com, and at ticketworld.com. For more updates, you can follow Miss Asia Pacific International on Facebook (Miss Asia Pacific International), Instagram (@missasiapacificintl) and Twitter (@ms_asiapacific).

Photography by Collin Yap